Spring-hinge.



No.734,446. I PATBNTB-D JULY 21,1903. 'H.J.VALENTINE.

SPRING HINGE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1902. so MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET '1,

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N0. 734,446. PATENTED JULY 21,1903.

H. J. VALENTINE.

SPRING HINGE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1902.

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UNITED STATES Patentediuly 21,1903,

P T NT OFFICE.

HARRY J. VALENTINE, on CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR To THE COLUM- BIANHARDWARE COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO,

OF OHIO.

A CORPORATION SPRING-HINGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 734,446, dated July 21,1903. Application filed November 18,1902 o ri No. 131,822 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY J. VALENTINE, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and a resident of Cleveland, Ouyahoga county, in

the State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSpring-Hinges, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to spring-hinges, especially of the class whichare used for light doors, such as screen-doors; and the objects of theinvention are to provide a spring-hinge which is durable and economical,which consists of the fewest possible parts consistent with asatisfactory hinge of the described class, and to hold the parts firmlytogether; further, to provide means for adjusting the tension of thespring of such class of hinges.

To these ends my invention consists of sev-' eral features ofconstruction and combinaac tions of parts, to be hereinafter describedand then claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation ofmyimproved spring-hinge. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View takenin plane of the hinge. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3,Fig. 2. Fig. 4is a perspective view of one of the end tips of the hinge.Fig. 5 is a front view of a modification, and Fig. 6 is a section of thespring-ad 3o justing portion thereof.

Referring to the drawings Figs. 1 to 4, the simplest form of hinge showncomprises a pair of leaves A A, which are provided each with ears orlugs a a, respectively at opposite ends, and the inner edges of theleaves are bent upwardly to form flanges a to partially-inclose thespring 0. The leaves are preferably made of sheet metal and arecounterparts one of the other, they being fixed to- 0 gether by means ofpreferably hollow sheetmetal tips 15 B, which form pintles on which theleaves of the hinge pivot. The leaves are placed together so that theirears overlap, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, the ear of leaf A at one endof the hinge being outside of the adjacent ear of the leaf A, while atthe opposite end of the hinge the ear of the leaf A lies outside of theear of leaf A. The ears are provided with suitable openings to receive5o the pintl'e-tips, and into the openings of the locking-teat d. isprovided with a diametrical longitudinallyextending slot 1). The helicalspring 0 occuipies the space between the flanges a of the .the saidslot. the tip B is driven into the registering openouter'ears of therespective leaves A A there projects from each ear, preferably in theplane thereof, at one end of the hinge a locking teat or projection 01and at the other end a Each of the pintle-tips B B leaves, one endthereof abutting against the ear of the leaf A at the corresponding endof the hinge, while the other end of the spring abuts against the ear ofthe leaf A at the opposite end of the hinge. The opposite ends of thespring are bent diametrically across the spring at 0 C The pintle-tip Bis driven through the registering openings in the ears at one end of thehinge, so that the teat or projection d will enter the slot of said tipand interlock with the same, the adjacent end of the spring being alsocaused to engage with At the other end of the hinge ings of the ears,the teat or projection dbeing caused to enter and interlock with theslot of the said tip B and the adjacent end O of the spring being causedto engage with the slot-'of the tip also. When the tips. are drivenfully home, the parts of the springhinge are united, one end of thespring acting on one leaf and the other end of the spring acting on theother leaf. Each leaf bears at the opposite ends of the spring-hinge atipin one case the tip B and in the other case 'the tip Band when thedoor towhich the hinges are applied is swung open the leaf on p the dooracts to Wind up the spring and put it under tension,'so that when thedoor is released the spring will close the same. The tips B B areidentical, and it will be seen thatin the entire spring-hinge describedthere are only three parts which differnamely, a leaf, the spring, and atipthe two leaves being counterparts, as also the two tips. The exposedends of the tips are rounded off to impart a finish to the ends, ortheymay be stamped in any suitable shape. I V

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the same reference-lettersapply to corresponding parts, the only difference being at one end ofthe hinge. Here an elongated pin- ICO tle-tip E is not keyed to one ofthe leaves, but may turn in one pair of cars a a, it being forced homeby the endwise expansion of the spring 0. The pintle-tip E has a slot 2,which receives the adjacent bent end of the spring C and also a head orflange e, against which the end coil abuts. Between the bead e'and theadjacent ear a the, pintle-tipE has an annular series of holes f, sothat the pintle-tip may be turned like acapstan bya nail or theequivalent and the tension of the spring be adjusted, this tension beingheld by the abut ment upon the leaf A of a looking-pin F, inserted inone of the holesf.

What I claim as new and of my invention 1. In a spring-hinge, thecombination of similar leaves provided each with equidistant ears atopposite ends, the ears being placed together in pairs so that atone endthe ear of one leaf is at the outside and at the other end the ear ofthe other leaf is at the outside, tips inserted in said ears, and ahelical spring arranged between the leaves and the two pairs of ears,and the ends of the spring being engaged with the tips, substantially asset forth.

2. In a spring-hinge, the combination of the leaves provided with earsat opposite ends having registering openings, tips inserted into theregistering openings of the respective ends of the hinge, one tip beingattached to move with one leaf at one end of the hinge, and the othertip engaged with the ears at the other end of the hinge, and a helicalspring arranged between the leaves and the ends thereof being suitablyengaged with the inner ends of the tips, substantially as set forth.

3. In a spring-hinge, the combination of the leaves provided with carsat each end having registering openings, a teat or projection on one ofthe leaves at one end of the hinge, projecting into one of the openings,slotted tips inserted into the registering openings at opposite ends ofthe hinge so that the teat or projection enters the slot oftheappropriate tip to lock the tip against relative rotation to the leaf towhich it is applied, and a helical spring arranged between the leaveswith its ends in engagement with the slots of the tips, substantially asset forth.

4:. In a spring-hinge, the combination of leaves provided with a pair ofadjacent perforated cars, a teat or projection extending inwardly fromone ear, and a pintle-tip inserted in said ears, and having a slot atits inner end receiving said teat, said pintle-tip projecting beyondsaid ears, substantially as set forth.

5. In a spring-hinge, the combination of leaves provided with ears atthe ends only having registering openings, pintle-tips inserted in theopenings at both ends of the hinge, one of said tips being fast to oneof the leaves at one end of the hinge, and the tip at the other endbeing provided with a series of tension-holes, a locking-pin engaged inone of the holes and abutting upon one leaf, and a helical springbetween the leaves and the ears, engaged with both tips, substantiallyas set forth.

Signed at New York, N. Y., this 1st day of November, 1902.

HARRY J. VALENTINE.

Witnesses:

EDWARD J. MURPHY, GEO. L. WHEELOCK.

